Managing Anxiety – Mindfulness Grounding

Anxiety – or worrying about future events that you have no control over – is a big problem in the lives of many Americans. From occasional worries to constant thoughts; from small disruptions in your day to overwhelming debilitation. If you’re prone to worry, here are some tips that will help you live a more worry-free life.

The practice of Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment. Enjoying what is happening right here, right now in your life. When our thoughts are constantly in the future, we miss out on the people and experiences of the here-and-now. Worry creates physical problems, too. When your body is in a constant state of worry the hormone cortisol is secreted and your body stays on a heightened state of awareness. Fatigue sets in, sleep is hard to come by (or staying asleep is difficult), and you feel “on edge” most of the time. This does not have to be your new normal.

Here are two tips to try:

Four Square Breathing. In this model of relaxation, the purpose is to slow your racing thoughts and bring them back to the here-and-now. Start by breathing in for a count of 4, then holding your breath for a count of 4, then breathing out for a count of 4, then holding it for a count of 4. Do this routine 4 times.  Try it right now. (Really, try it before reading further.) What did you notice? Your attention should have been on your breathing and counting. What’s the right pace to count so that you don’t hyperventilate? In doing this, you weren’t focusing on the future!  There’s more to this technique, so please read on.

Physical Grounding: When you find your thoughts racing into the future, look around the room (or wherever you are) and start making a list of everything you see. Even say it out loud if you’re alone. “I see white walls, a brown wooden bookshelf, a blue coffee mug half full of brown coffee. I see a black pen laying on a tan-colored wooden desk. There’s a gray cordless phone in the cradle with white buttons.” You get the picture. Much like the 4 Square Breathing exercise the purpose is to take control of your thoughts, slow them down and bring them back to the present. Try it right now and see what happens.

Two things should come out of practice with these exercises. 1) You’ll become more aware of when your thinking gets out of control and becomes anxiety provoking and 2) you’ll learn to use these techniques and control your thought processes.

The final step: Once you bring your thinking back to the present, reengage with what is happening now! Avoid letting your thinking go back to worrying about the future. If it does, try the technique again until you can refocus on the present moment.

Getting control of your thinking is the first step to beating anxiety.